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My 76 year old father had health issues most of last year, and I was the sole person to handle settling his finances and health-related issues. It was almost a full-time job for months on end.

When the Sopranos returned about 11 months ago, it was a welcome diversion, moreover, a chance to escape for a few hours. I was so taken into the show again, that I had real plans to write a book on the show. ("Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.") The book would be mainly my own synopsis for each episode, followed by an encyclopedia of details (characters, places, songs, writers...) in the Soprano world. I didn't have any plans to publish it, as it would be more of a reference for my own use when I went back and watched the shows again.

Once again, real life intervened in a big way, culminating with the death of my father in November. I relay this story not to illicit sympathy, but to illustrate the point that as all consuming as the show may be, life itself is much bigger. It has to be. I see a lot of people apologizing for their lack of participation, and maybe that is what I've done a bit here also.

After the Beatles break-up, Lennon tried to downplay the significance of it saying (paraphrasing), " It's not the end of the world. It's just a rock n' roll band. You have all the old records there if you want to reminisce." I find parallels with that and the end of the Sopranos; we still have the DVDs.

When the muse strikes, I'll pick up where I left off last year, but my head is elsewhere, at least for now. I'm not alone, either, it appears.

Thanks again to Fly for giving us this place, where I found the most intelligent, and insightful conversation about this thing of ours.

Though I know you didn't ask for it, I still feel the need to acknowledge the loss of your father. My mother was ill with cancer for two years before her death, so I can well relate to the unique mixture of emotions and stresses that come with that kind of ordeal. My condolences to you and your family.

And thanks for all you've contributed to the forum. The level of detail in your episode recaps never failed to impress.

Tony, his spirits crushed after b-lining to the fridge first thing in the morning: "Who ate the last piece of cake?"

My father passed this past 4th of July, just a couple weeks after the finale. Now my Dad was very much like Tony Soprano sometimes too much. My dad was a convicted Felon for money laundering. When they tried to pin the case on the heads of two families as part of a RICO case, everyone ratted on everyone else, but my father never ratted out a soul. So he went to jail for 4 years in a federal pen. I dont normally ever post such info but hes gone and its all history. His funeral service had some charecters show up let me tell you. But I wont talk much more about it. This is all true and it only adds to my love for this show, this posting site, and all of you who see "this thing of ours" from so many perspectives it helps me even understand my own personal experience. This show has not only served as a diversion but also as validation that I lived a life that is "normal". Meaning when popular culture accepts the Soprano Family as real then my life feels more real in a strange way. But its not everyones lot to know about "this thing of ours" yet still it exists in the shadows and in our denial of it. So I love it here. Let it stay like a unused aircraft carrier turned into a pirate radio station! Or something like that. An empty wall to be spray painted on. Thanks again Fly for all your work in making this place possible and I hope you read stories like mine and realize how amazing "this thing of yours" has become!

You know, Vito called me “skip” the other day. Slip of the tongue, no doubt. But I noticed he didn’t correct himself.